iColo, which designs, builds, and operates state of- the-art carrier-neutral data centres in Kenya and Mozambique, has announced a significant expansion of its renewable energy initiatives with the installation of solar panels at its facilities in Kenya.
The data centre operator has successfully added and commissioned over 650 kilowatts (kW) of new solar installations across its two data centre campuses in Nairobi and Mombasa.
Over 450kW of this new solar capacity is available within iColo’s Nairobi (NBO) campus, where over 60 national and global networks aggregate, and will support continued campus expansion. The nearly 200 kW of remaining capacity will be utilised on iColo’s growing Miritini Mombasa campus.
The company cites the latest statistics report by Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), saying that Kenya’s power grid is significantly renewable, with 82% of its energy generation mix comprising renewable sources including geothermal, hydro and wind.
The company adds that it is actively engaging in discussions to secure additional space for further solar installations, including greenfields, car parks, and rooftops at all its campuses. iColo aims to have 25% of its facilities’ power needs met by solar installations as part of its long-term goals.
Indeed, iColo says its long-term plan is to align both campuses’ growth with the addition of more solar capacity to meet growing demand in the future. The company currently has three data centres in its master plan, including a captive substation, and is expected to consume over 20 megawatts (MW) at full capacity. The company’s second data centre in Nairobi, NBO2, with an IT load of 6.5 MW, is expected to come online in Q3 2025.
iColo is a Digital Realty company. Digital Realty, which delivers data centre colocation and interconnection solutions, says its recent initiatives in Kenya align closely with ongoing commitment to sustainability globally.
In 2020, the company joined the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), pledging to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions (direct and indirect company emissions) by 68% and Scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions in the value chain) by 24% by 2030.
Digital Realty has also secured contracts for over 1.4 gigawatts of renewable power, marking substantial progress towards its clean energy objectives. Another Digital Realty Company, carrier-neutral colocation provider Teraco, recently unveiled a large-scale solar project in the Free State province of South Africa.
